Freefalling
by KorraWT
Summary: After an accident while on the job Asami has to learn to be whole again.


**My Submission for the Pro-Bending Circuit**

 **Prompts: Silver, Posing, Circus AU**

 **Word count: 1331**

Asami took a deep breath as she listened for the cue from Mako. She held the slight bend in her knees and was mentally preparing herself for the landing in the net. No matter how many times she had been shot out of the canon successfully she had to go through her mental checklist.

"And now the moment you've all been waiting for. The Amazing Asami Sato!"

As soon as Asami was propelled out of the canon she tucked herself into a ball and counted the seconds until she knew she was to land in the net. But when the number finally arrived Asami knew that the safe landing she had experienced hundred if not thousands of times wasn't going to happen. She put herself in a position she knew would help minimize any injury she knew she was going to get. Asami her her the crack just as she blacked out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Asami woke up to a room filled with flowers and fluorescent lights. She moved her head and there was Mako sitting in the corner asleep on the chair. Next to Mako his younger brother slept on a cot. Asami was very fond of the brothers. Bolin was the strong man in the show. And he was very good at hamming it up for the audience when he posed. As Asami tried to sit up a shooting pain shot down her back. As she groaned and sank back into the bed Mako woke up.

"Asami? Are you awake?" He asked as he moved over to her side.

"Mhm," was all Asami was able to get out as she desperately looked for water.

"Let me call a nurse," Mako said rushing out of the room.

Asami looked over to Bolin who was still sleeping then to the table next to her hospital bed. She noticed her cell phone sitting on top with the charger plugged in. As she reached for it the shooting pain returned. Asami pushed through the pain as she grabbed for her phone.

She was shocked when she finally saw the date that appeared on the screen. She had lost four days of her life. Four days and things were finally becoming clear to Asami that things were way more serious than Asami had anticipated. As the messages started to update on her phone Mako walked back in with a nurse.

"Well good evening Miss Sato, I'm your evening nurse Kya. You must me thirsty. I brought you some ice chips to suck on. We will get you back on regular fluids soon."

Asami greedily sucked on the ice chips desperate to ease the dryness in her mouth.

"Asami, the doctor is on his way to talk to you but you need to prepare yourself for what he might tell you," Mako said as sat next Asami.

"Tell me Mako," Asami said as her voice cracked with the lack of use over the past few days.

"Asami," Mako grabbed her hand. "Can you wiggle your toes?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Gah," Asami yelled out as she fell from the bed trying to transfer herself to the wheelchair. Mako moved to rush to her side.

"No," a low voice said. "Asami, needs to do this herself. If she falls and she is by herself she needs to know how to get up on her own."

Asami struggled to pull herself up. After several minutes of failed attempts Asami sat on the ground staring at the silver chair tears filling her eyes.

"Ok Miss Sato," the physical therapist said as she walked over to Asami. She squatted next to Asami and lifted her up by the support belt fastened around her midsection.

"Thank you Kuvira, and please just call me Asami."

"Asami," Kuvira said placing Asami in the silver wheelchair. "You're doing great. You are probably my most strong willed patient and I know for a fact by the end of the year you will be back to taking care of yourself."

Asami looked over to Mako who was standing near the door.

"Mako do you think we can go to the site today?"

"Are you sure?" Mako questioned. "It's only been three weeks since the accident and I'm not sure you can leave the hospital."

"I'm actually going to recommend that Asami is discharged today," Kuvira said backing up her therapy tools. "She has made remarkable leaps in her progress for someone newly paralyzed."

Asami flinched at the term _paralyzed._ The word stuck in her mind.

"Ok, well everyone is anxious to see you. And there is someone who is wanting to apologize."

"No," Asami said wheeling herself around the room. "I want nothing to with him."

"It's not entirely Wu's fault Asami." Mako looked down at his feet. "I should take the responsibility. I'm the Ringmaster, all the performers ultimately are my responsibility."

"Umm Mako," Kuvira said. "Might I just have a word with you?"

Kuvira and Mako stepped out of the room as Asami wheeled herself to the window.

"I think it might be best if Asami just went straight home. Going back to where the accident occurred might be detrimental to her recovery."

"Well," Mako started pacing around the hall. "We leave for the next city soon, and Asami's home is with us. She has to come."

"Have you thought about maybe finding a place for her to stay here in Republic City? There are plenty of apartments for her to rent and she could get a live in therapist for the time being."

Mako looked over to Kuvira, "Would you do it?"

"Oh me? No I have a decent gig here at the hospital. My sister-in-law Opal however does the live in PT. I can give you her information if you are interested."

"Yeah," Mako said staring back at the door. "We are going to have to do something for her. And Varrik the owner of the circus company has agreed to cover everything since it was his nephew that screwed everything up."

"Great," Kuvira said. "I'll let Opal know she can be expecting a call from you guys."

xxxxxxxxxxx

"I don't see why I need a live in therapist. I'm getting along just fine these past few days," Asami said fixing her hair and makeup in the low level mirror.

"It's gonna help you get back to a more normal life sooner," Mako said as he paced by the door.

"Besides from all the photos from her website this Opal is a total babe, Asami," Bolin said stepping behind her to pose in the mirror.

"I try not to shit where I eat Bolin," Asami said as she wheeled herself to the door ready to greet Opal, who was do at any moment. "Dating my live in PT sounds like it would be a disaster."

"Well Asami," Bolin said as he was still posing in the mirror. "All I'm saying is she is gorgeous and you are gorgeous and well I know how you can be."

"Honestly Bo, can't feel much from my belly button down." Asami replied as she gave Bolin a look.

"But you can move your big toe on your left foot. So there is hope," Mako said.

Asami looked down to her feet and if you weren't staring you would miss the slight movement Asami was able to perform.

"I suppose, but that is even more reason not to sleep with my PT."

"TRUUUUEEEE," Bolin said finally done in front of the mirror. "So, you're ok if I hit on her?"

"BO!" Mako yelled. "No one is hitting on the PT. Asami needs to recover."

At that time the doorbell rang and Mako moved to open the door. As soon as Asami stared into Opal's green eyes she had the sensation of flying through the air once again and the butterflies she had only felt a few other times with people appeared in her stomach. This time Asami knew there wasn't going to be a safety net for when she came down.


End file.
